Georgetown led for nearly the entire first half, dominating the boards while staying just ahead of the Orange. Freshman Otto Porter, who would finish with 14 points and 13 rebounds, led the charge to the glass, grabbing nine first-half misses. The Hoyas were no great shakes from the field, shooting below 40 percent for the half, but managed a couple of timely threes from Hollis Thompson and just enough ball movement to score on the Orange zone. On the other end of the floor, the Hoyas’ zone bottled up the Orange, save for a couple of Joseph threes, helping the visitors to carry a 31-27 lead into half-time.

Syracuse came out of the break with eight straight points to wrest the lead from the Hoyas. A sloppy turnover and missed shot both led to easy transition points, which Georgetown had limited up to that point. Syracuse’s run culminated with a Brandon Triche three that brought the 27,000 plus Orange-clad fans to their feet. Seniors Jason Clark and Henry Sims each had picked up their third fouls, making the Hoyas’ prospects grim.

Faced with veteran foul trouble, JTIII turned to a line-up of Hollis and the four freshmen. As they had so many times before, the first years came through on the defensive end, stanching the blood-letting while scoring just enough to tighten the margin back up. The game was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way, with each team taking one-basket leads that were just as quickly equalized. But Georgetown struggled to keep up, as Sims and Mikael Hopkins, the Hoyas’ big men, missed a series of chip shots near the rim, finishing 2 of 20 between them from the floor. While some of the shots looked make-able, many of the misses could be chalked up to Syracuse’s stout interior defense which, led by massive center Fab Melo, boasts the best block rate in the Big East. Having contained the Hoyas on offense, Syracuse rebuilt its advantage, which swelled to six thanks to yet another three by Joseph with 4:37 remaining

Just when Georgetown looked to be fading into the night, though, Clark hit back-to-back threes from ten or more feet beyond the arc. Reinvigorated on offense, the Hoyas locked down on defense, holding the Orange to just a single free throw over the last four minutes. In part, the Hoyas were aided by Orange guard Dion Waiters’s decision to play hero ball, as the sophomore launched jumper after ill-advised jumper. But Georgetown’s stingy defense also ruled out other options, clogging the lane and swarming the perimeter. Clark’s second bomb pulled the Hoyas within one, and an ill-advised foul with a minute remaining sent Greg Whittington to the line with just one minute remaining. The freshman made one of two to tie the game; each team missed opportunities to win in the final minute, including a frustrating possession in which Sims looked off a wide open Thompson on the perimeter.

A see-saw extra session ensued, with each team gaining, then relinquishing, a two-point lead. With less than a minute to play, Syracuse had the ball with a chance to break a 61-all tie. Once again, the Orange found Joseph free on the wing, and once again, the senior converted from three, his sixth trey of the evening with barely 20 seconds remaining in the extra session. A Georgetown timeout and a frustrating sequence ensued, in which Thompson tried to check into the game, but too late, leaving the Hoyas without their best perimeter marksman on a critical possession. Left without an additional option, Clark was bottled up and turned the ball over, ending the Hoyas’ chances.

The final minute was a disheartening end to an extremely encouraging evening that validated the Hoyas’ progress throughout the season. Whatever the struggles on each end of the floor, the Hoyas proved that they could shut down the Orange offense, which until last night had averaged more than 78 points per game. Porter once again proved his merit on a big stage, notching a double-double, while the rest of the Hoya freshmen seemed unfazed by the rabid opposing crowd. Clark and Thompson each played moderately well against the swarming Orange zone, with Hollis in particular showing full-court effort en route to his own 10 point, 10 rebound double-double.

Georgetown takes these positives into a five-game stretch in which the Hoyas are likely to be favored in each contest: Sunday’s home game against St. John’s; road trips to Providence and Seton Hall; and a pair of home games, against Villanova and Notre Dame. Each game will present its own challenges, but if the Hoyas bring the same defensive tenacity and composure against those foes that brought them within a free throw of being the first team to win at the Carrier Dome, they should emerge victorious. For now, the sting of Wednesday’s loss lingers, but another game awaits. Hoya Saxa.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas played hard for 45 minutes but just couldn’t pull off the upset, losing 64-61. The Georgetown defense again deserves credit, holding the Orange to under 35% shooting. Unfortunately, the Hoyas only shot 33% from the field themselves, including only 24% from beyond the arc. It was the poor shooting that doomed the Hoyas.

But on the plus side, Georgetown’s play continues to improve. Against one of the best teams in the country, the shots were not falling, and that ordinarily would spell disaster. But, the Hoyas were able to stay in the game due to their defense and rebounding, and just missed coming home with a very impressive win. And while it is always disappointing to lose, especially to Syracuse, the Hoyas can build off this performance and use what they learned in defeat to make themselves stronger.

Syracuse:
The Orange’s defense caused problems for the Hoyas early, as Georgetown seemed to just pass the ball around the perimeter without much movement. Syracuse also uses their defense to create offense, turning steals into layups, and that was again the case, as the Orange scored 20 points off of Georgetown turnovers. However, as the game wore on, the Hoyas got a better read on the zone, and they turned the ball over less and worked the zone to their advantage, getting easier looks. In the end, though, Syracuse’s defense got the stops when they needed it, and they were able to get the win.

Players

Georgetown:
Seniors Jason Clark and Henry Sims both picked up their third fouls on Syracuse’s first possession of the second half. As a result they sat on the bench for a seven minute stretch, and Georgetown’s underclassmen had to step up. Otto Porter earned a double-double, leading the Hoyas with 14 points and 13 rebounds. He took advantage of holes in the Syracuse zone, taking and hitting baseline jumpers, and outhustled everyone of the floor for loose balls. He is improving with every game, and especially with Georgetown’s seniors on the bench, he took control when the Hoyas needed it.

Syracuse:
Kris Joseph almost single-handedly beat the Hoyas, scoring 29 points on 9-20 and connecting on 6-11 from beyond the arc. He scored nine of Syracuse’s final 13 points of the game, including the game-winning three with under 30 seconds to go in overtime. If the Hoyas meet the Orange in the Big East Tournament, they will need to do a better job of containing Joseph.

Referees

The officiating was not the reason the Hoyas lost this game, but it seemed like every 50-50 call went against the Hoyas. Henry Sims picked up his third foul just a minute into the second half on what appeared to be a clear charge. In the overtime period, Hollis Thompson was called for a charge in a similar situation, where the defender was not as set. On the ensuing possession, Greg Whittington was whistled for a dubious foul on Dion Waiters where there was minimal contact. And even on Georgetown’s final offensive set, Jason Clark was being harassed and the ball was knocked of bounds on what very easily could have been Georgetown’s ball, but Bob Donato awarded possession to the Orange, and that essentially ended the game. Like I said, these plays did not decide the outcome, but in a close game where every possession is critical, the Hoyas didn’t get any help from the officials.

Number of the Game

17: Rebounding advantage for Georgetown. The Hoyas absolutely demolished the Orange on the boards, grabbing a whopping 52 rebounds, including 23 on the offensive end. However, the Hoyas were only able to translate that into 13 second-chance points. But, if Georgetown’s continues to crash the boards as effectively as they did against Syracuse, the Hoyas will be in very good shape entering March.

Teams

Georgetown:
Georgetown had five players reach double figures and 11 players earn minutes in a convincing 75-45 win over South Florida. The Hoyas continue to impress with their defensive effort, and for the second straight game, they held their opponents without a field goal for over 10 minutes. The Bulls shot just 31.4% from the field and committed 17 turnovers.

Georgetown’s offense was not as sharp as its defense early on, as the team was under 35% from the floor in the first half. However, the Hoyas turned things around after the break, missing just eight shots and connecting on over 65% of their second half field goals. With the Hoyas scoring with ease and the defense forcing the Bulls to work hard every possession, Georgetown steadily increased the lead, and South Florida was never truly in the game.

South Florida:
The Bulls entered this game winners of four out of five conference games. However, they started the game sluggish, and despite the Hoyas poor first half shooting, the Bulls still found themselves down eight at the break. South Florida never found any rhythm offensively, and once the Hoyas took their commanding second half lead, the Bulls were done for.

Players

Georgetown:
It’s difficult to single out any one Hoya in this game, as so many made contributions for the win. That being said, Henry Sims had 13 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, a great all-around performance from the big fella, especially considering the size and strength of South Florida’s front line.

Freshman Jabril Trawick also had a nice game, as he reached double figures for the first time in his career, scoring 10 points and going 7-8 from the free throw line.

South Florida:
Gus Gilchrist had a strong game, working down low for most of his points, but still remaining a threat to make an outside jumper. He was the only Bull in double figures, scoring one-third of his team points with a game-high of 15. But, in general, when 15 points is one third of your team’s total, you are going to be in trouble.

Number of the Game

4.5: Consecutive minutes without a point scored during the first half. Otto Porter put back an offensive rebound at the 11 minute mark to give the Hoyas a 10 point lead. Neither team would score a point until Sims connected on two free throws with 6:28 to play in the half. During that stretch, the teams combined to go 0-7 and committed eight turnovers. It was not pretty basketball.

For the second straight game, Georgetown held its opponent without a field goal for ten-plus minutes, keeping South Florida scoreless from five minutes after the tip until barely four minutes remained in the first half. The Hoyas were aided in their defensive efforts by the Bulls themselves, who committed numerous and egregious turnovers (at one point, five straight USF possessions ended in turnovers), missed free throws and lay-ups, and generally shot themselves in the foot offensively. But Georgetown’s defense also limited perimeter looks, rotated crisply, and held its own on the boards.

Initially, the offense wasn’t much to speak of, shooting just 35 percent for the first half and managing just three free throws over a nine-plus minute stretch. But that all changed after the half, when the Hoyas rattled off a 16-4 run to open the half, then scored on 14 straight possessions to end any thought of a South Florida comeback. Some of the new-found offensive production was the result of better ball movement, as Sims, Otto Porter (12 points, 4 assists), and Jason Clark (11 points, 2 assists) all picked up nifty assists. But the onslaught also was fueled simply by hot shooting, as seemingly ill-chosen long two-pointers and one-on-one forays alike led to baskets. Regardless, the jump in production, after recent bouts of offensive ineptitude, was plenty welcome.

In all, the win, its sixth holding a major-conference opponent under 60 points after four such victories last year, was further proof that Georgetown can win games with its defense. For all of Sims’s passing virtuosity, the absence of a true play-maker will continue to cause offensive lapses, but many fans exasperated by frequent defensive indifference in years past are willing to be patient with offensive difficulties. Saturday’s victory also runs Georgetown’s conference mark to 8-3 which, combined with Notre Dame’s win over Marquette, puts those three teams in a three-way tie (in the loss-column) for second place. The Hoyas’ position will be challenged Wednesday, when Georgetown travels to Syracuse to face the streaking Orange. The Hoyas will enter that game as underdogs, but, as they proved last year in the Carrier Dome, anything can happen.

Teams

Georgetown:
After a pair of poor performances on the offensive end of the floor, the Hoyas decided to inflict some pain on their opponent for a change, turning up the intensity defensively to soundly defeat Connecticut, 58-44. Georgetown’s defense set the pace for the game, as the Hoyas were very active, deflecting passes on seemingly every possession, and holding the Huskies to 30% shooting on the night.

While the offense was still not firing on all cylinders, they slowly but surely took the lead and extended it to double digits in the first half, and kept the lead for the rest of the game. They also controlled the pace of the game, keeping the score low and not allowing the Huskies to turn the game into a track meet. And especially given how much Connecticut struggled to score in the half-court offense, that was a key to success.

Connecticut:
The Huskies are in a free fall, having now lost four straight. But unlike the other contests which were all one possession games, this time Connecticut lost by double digits and were not closer than six in the entire second half. Their shooting was abysmal, and even their free throw shooting was under 50%. The Huskies were not getting stops and couldn’t make any outside shots, going a frigid 10% from three-point range. Connecticut trailed by ten at halftime, and briefly threatened in the second half, but then quickly fell behind by double figures again, and at that point the game was over.

Players

Georgetown:
Hollis Thompson had his best game in two weeks, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds. He again showcased his scoring versatility, slashing to the basket as well as hitting his three pointers, and his length caused problems for the UCONN offense. The Hoyas needed a strong performance against the Huskies, and Thompson certainly answered the call.

Connecticut:
Coming into the game, Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier were the two leading scorers for the Huskies, averaging 32 points per game. They were well under that average against the Hoyas, only scoring 15 points on atrocious shooting. Lamb was 4-18, or 22% from the field, and 2-11 from beyond the arc, and Napier was even worse, missing all nine of his field goal attempts.

Andre Drummond was the only UCONN player to shoot over 50% from the field, scoring 18 points on nine of his 12 attempts, while the rest of his teammates combined to shoot under 19%. Drummond did have an Achilles’ heel though, as he missed all four of his free throw in spectacular style, including an airball.

Coaches

Midway through the first half have, it became clear that the Connecticut offense wasn’t working. But, Coach Calhoun seemed to make no adjustments, allowing his star players to keep shooting, even though they were clearly struggling from the floor. Even in the second half, the Huskies did not seem to change their game plan, even though it was apparent that their three pointers were not going to fall.

Number of the Game

10.5: Consecutive minutes without a field goal for Connecticut. The Huskies started the game 6-7 from the field, jumping out to a six point lead at the 16:30 mark in the first half. However, Connecticut would go without a field goal until there were just six minutes to play before the break. The damage had been done, as during that stretch the Hoyas took a lead that they would never relinquish.

Teams

Georgetown:
The Hoyas followed up a very shaky performance against Rutgers with an equally disappointing game against Pittsburgh, losing 72-60. Georgetown’s defense was poor for most of the game, with the Panthers getting open layups seemingly at will and scoring 32 points in the paint in the game. The inability to stop Pittsburgh combined with an offense that went over seven minutes without a field goal doomed Georgetown for failure. And with a big game against Connecticut coming up, the Hoyas cannot be happy with their most recent performances leading up to that showdown.

Pittsburgh:
The Panthers did not look like a team that opened Big East play 0-7. They fought for the whole 40 minutes, jumped out to lead and never relinquished it. Even when Georgetown cut a 17 point lead down to five with plenty of time left in the game, the Panthers did not panic or collapse; they were able to stay in the lead and eventually spread the lead back up to double figures. The Hoyas certainly underperformed, but the Panthers also came ready to play.

Players

Georgetown:
Freshman Otto Porter continues to impress with his effort and hustle. He scored 14 points on 6-11 shooting and grabbed six rebounds, both team highs for the game. In addition, his energy off the bench helps the team, especially when their play seems stagnant as it did on Saturday.

Pittsburgh:
Nasir Robinson was a perfect 9-9 from the field en route to a game-high 23 points for the Panthers. Teammate Lamar Patterson added 18 points of his own to go along with seven assists. Together, the two scored 41 points on 88% shooting, with almost half of those points coming in the paint. The Georgetown defense simply had no answer to these two on the interior.

Number of the Game

12: Rebounding advantage for Pittsburgh over Georgetown. Recently the Hoyas have been winning the battle of the boards, but in this game they were outrebounded by a dozen, which could be a sign of Georgetown’s lack of energy or focus on the day.

Make no mistake: this was not the same Pitt team that lost its first seven Big East games. Panther point guard Tray Woodall returned before Wednesday’s win over Providence, revitalizing a downtrodden team. Saturday, Woodall generated a number of easy opportunities for his teammates, finishing with 10 assists. Several of those helpers came as fellow Panthers slipped screens and otherwise exploited a Georgetown defense that switches on picks. Particular beneficiaries were Nasir Robinson and Lamar Patterson, who combined to shoot 15 of 17 from the field to finish with 39 points.

Still, Georgetown was as bad as Pitt was good. The missed defensive rotations that led to so many easy Panther baskets were largely because of slow feet and poor communication by the Hoya defense. And the offense was little better: tentative cuts and poor ball movement helped hold the Hoyas to just 11 points in the first 15-plus minutes. Even the baskets the Hoyas could manage were outside the flow of the offense, and free throws again were an issue, as Georgetown finished just 7 of 12 from the line. Before Georgetown could right the ship, the deficit was a nigh-insurmountable 28-11.

Then, the Hoyas started clicking. Improved defense held the Panthers to just 5 points over as many minutes, while three-pointers from Otto Porter and Greg Whittington fueled an offensive spurt that narrowed the Pitt advantage to 11 at the half. (Had the old bugaboo – foul shots – not bitten Georgetown again in the last minute, when Porter missed the front end of a one-and-one, the lead might have been single digits.)

Georgetown came out of the break on the same trajectory as it closed the first half. Henry Sims – sluggish, silent, and ineffective in the first half – took over the post, scoring all 10 of his points after intermission and finding open teammates for suddenly easy baskets. And Jason Clark, who had scored just two points in the first half, scored twice off the bounce to pull the Hoyas within just five, a number that they matched on a Sims jump hook on the next possession.

But the errors were too many the rest of the way. For every stout defensive possession that resulted in a forced shot or 35-second violation, there was a slow-footed rotation that left Patterson or Robinson open under the hoop. On offense, a couple of forced jumpers frittered away possessions the Hoyas could scarcely afford to waste. Although Porter was excellent, leading the team with 14 points and 6 rebounds, the other offensive options, and the defensive stops, were too few. Georgetown would never again get closer than six.

The Hoyas’ offensive droughts have become something of a theme over recent weeks, whether in the closing minutes against Cincinnati, the entire first half against Rutgers, or the opening fifteen or so minutes against Pitt Saturday. Georgetown is even more susceptible to bouts of offensive ineptitude when one or more of its upperclassmen struggle. Saturday, the veteran in question was Hollis Thompson who, despite scoring 11 points, struggled for the second straight game, going scoreless between the Hoyas’ opening bucket and a largely meaningless eight-point flourish in the final minute.

While Georgetown (barely) withstood long scoreless stretches against Rutgers thanks to rugged defense of its own, the Hoyas could not contain a Pitt offense that, whatever the struggles of the team as a whole, remains highly efficient, and shot 52 percent from the field Saturday. Wednesday, the Hoyas will have a similarly small margin for error when they host the defending national champion UConn Huskies.

Teams

Georgetown:
From the opening tip, it looked as though Georgetown did not have it’s A-game. Players were missing wide open shots, and the motion offense too often was not moving. The team made only three shots in the first half en route to its the worst shooting game of the year, 29.3% from the field.

The defense was solid, which was crucial, and the team was 70% from the free throw line, and in a game when the Hoyas shot 36 free throws, that made the difference. In the end, the Hoyas should try to put this game behind them and just be grateful that they were able to get a win when performing so poorly offensively. Hopefully, this performance was an anomaly, and the team can forget this game and move forward.

Rutgers:
The Scarlet Knights led for most of the game, breaking Georgetown’s press easily and getting transition baskets whenever possible. And while the Georgetown offense was having its own problems, Rutgers’ defense certainly compounded them. The Scarlet Knights had a 50-45 lead with two and a half minutes to go in the game, and at that point it looked as though Rutgers was going to pull off the upset. However, the Scarlet Knights would not score the rest of the game, as Georgetown ended the game on a 7-0 run to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

Players

Georgetown:
Two Hoyas stuck out by making big plays at big times, and they are both freshman. When the Hoyas found themselves down seven midway through the second half, Greg Whittington responded for the Hoyas, going on a 7-0 run by himself to get Georgetown back even.

Otto Porter had a quiet day for most of the game, but came up very big when it mattered most. He scored the final six points of the game to give Georgetown the win, none more important than his clutch free throws with eight seconds to play to put the Hoyas ahead. In a game where no one was playing particularly well, it was a good sign that the freshmen were not afraid to step up and help guide the Hoyas to victory.

Rutgers:
Eli Carter had a game-high 14 points, and his three pointer with just over 2:30 to go in the game gave Rutgers a five point lead. However, he was whistled for an offensive foul that gave Georgetown the ball back with a minute to play. He had a chance redeem himself, as he penetrated towards the basket on the final possession, but his floater would miss. Still, it was an impressive performance from Carter.

Referees

The officiating was simply atrocious. It was pretty much the opposite of the St. John’s game from one week ago. The refs called every touch foul, even when the contact was minimal and had no impact on the play. The Hoyas got a majority of the calls in their favor, which led to Georgetown shooting 36 free throws. It could have been more if the Hoyas had connected on the front end of some 1-and-1 attempts. The referees were consistent in that they continued to call lots of fouls the whole game, including the off-the-ball hold on Porter with under 10 seconds in the game that ended up being the difference.

Number of the Game

86: Seconds of the game during which Georgetown led. The Hoyas were behind almost the whole contest, taking the lead briefly on just three occasions, and only once did the Hoyas have the ball with the lead. Fortunately for Georgetown, they had the lead when it mattered, at the final horn.

It was tough sledding from the get-go for the Hoyas, who made just one field goal in the first six minutes, and just two in the first ten, all while falling behind 13-7. Rutgers brought defensive identity from the opening tip, denying Georgetown on the perimeter, and fishing out the ball from the post. The Hoyas, unable to find the open looks to which they were accustomed, resorted to out-of-rhythm hoists that inevitably bricked. Things didn’t get much better as the half wore on, as Porter’s jumper with 9:39 remaining was the Hoyas’ third and last field goal of the half. Still, Georgetown stayed in it, effectively mixing zone and man defenses to stifle the Scarlet Knight offense. The Hoyas erased a six-point Rutgers lead and even took the lead on two Nate Lubick free throws with 4:25 remaining.

Foul shots were the theme of the afternoon, as the flip side of the Scarlet Knights’ defensive tenacity was their relentless fouling. The Hoyas were sent to the line for 18 first-half free throws and, in a welcome recovery from their recent woes, made 14. On the day, Georgetown shot 36 free-throws, making 25 (both second this season only to the Hoyas’ 29-of-42 performance against Howard). Unfortunately, Lubick’s makes were Georgetown’s last points of the half, and a two-point Hoya lead became a five-point disadvantage by the half.

While the Hoyas’ offensive struggles continued into the second half, Rutgers never pulled away, building a lead that never stretched past seven. Georgetown, for all its shooting woes, actually played a pretty good game otherwise. A Hoya team that has struggled with turnovers recently committed 14 on Saturday–a number that, while not exactly stingy, was good enough against a sticky-fingered Rutgers defense. And Georgetown continued its recent dominance on the boards, nabbing four more offensive rebounds than Rutgers (even though the Scarlet Knights missed four more shots). Finally, the Hoyas played pretty good defense themselves, holding Rutgers under 38 percent from the field, and to a similarly low number from two. As has been the case several times this season, the Hoya freshmen receive much of the credit for the defensive performance, as Porter, Greg Whittington (7 points, 5 rebounds) and Jabril Trawick (2 points, 2 assists) each brought defensive grit, particularly in the second half.

Tough defense and a brief spout of offensive competence finally got the Hoyas back in the game, tying it at 38 midway through the second half. Ties followed at 40 and 42, followed–at last!–by a Hoya lead, 44-42. Opportunity no sooner appeared than it seemed to slip away, thanks to renewed offensive ineptitude. The Hoyas managed just a point for more than four minutes, while Rutgers rebuilt a five-point lead with barely two minutes to play.

But in a game of shifting fortunes, the pendulum swung once more. The Hoyas locked down on defense and found yet another hero in a season full of them. After a Henry Sims free throw (team highs with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) made the deficit four, Georgetown got three straight stout defensive stops. Each time, the Hoyas gave the ball to Porter. Lubick stole the ball then arced a beautiful full-court pass to a streaking Porter, who laid the ball in to trim the difference to two. After Jason Clark (11 points, 5 rebounds) drew an offensive foul, Porter hit a mid-range jumper to even the game with barely a minute to play. A perfect defensive possession resulted in a desperation Rutgers three, giving the Hoyas the unlikely chance to win, which Porter converted from the line with eight seconds remaining.

This win, like the one over Providence on New Year’s Eve, is sort of a Rorschach test for the fan’s feelings about the Hoyas. The optimist will assert that the Hoyas, in seasons past a strong offensive team that struggled when their shots weren’t falling, have found new ways to win. To be sure, there’s support for this view. As mentioned above, the Hoyas put in a strong performance on defense and on the boards, weaknesses in seasons gone by. And Georgetown has now won three games in which it has failed to score sixty points (Providence and Alabama being the two others), a feat which it accomplished not at all last year and just once the season before.

Of course, there’s ample material for the pessimist as well. The offensive droughts were excruciating, an echo of struggles throughout this season. With Markel Starks (three points) struggling recently, it’s hard to shake the nagging feeling that the Hoyas are one scorer short. Saturday, that feeling was more than nagging, as the Hoyas shot just 3 of 24 in the first half and less than 30 percent for the game.

Whose view prevails remains to be seen. But Georgetown finished a three-game stretch against inferior but tricky teams: St. John’s with young offensive promise; DePaul with harried pressure; and Rutgers with sticky, grabbing defense. As they should have, the Hoyas won all three. Those wins look all the more essential when looking at the standings where, behind the hated Orange, there’s a logjam of five teams with two losses apiece.

Now, Georgetown enjoys a week before traveling to Pittsburgh. In the meantime, Hoya Saxa.

Clark led all scorers, hitting 11 of 14 shots, 5 of 7 from three, en route to a career-high 31 points. The senior guard re-found his outside stroke, which had eluded him throughout a 4-for-22 three-point slump over the past six games. But he also played to his strengths, slashing to the hoop and pushing the ball in transition. Clark also affected the game in other ways, assuming primary ball-handling duties in the absence of point guard Markel Starks (who was sidelined with a stomach bug), swiping four steals, and grabbing five rebounds.

And Clark wasn’t alone on the glass, as six Hoyas grabbed at least four rebounds over an undersized Blue Demon squad. Leading the charge to the boards was Otto Porter, who grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, his fifth double-digit rebound game in just eighteen career appearances. Porter continued to show a nose for the ball, also racking up two steals and two blocks even as he struggled through a rough shooting night.

The Hoyas particularly thrived on the offensive boards, where more Hoya misses found their way into Hoya hands (17) than into those of the Blue Demons (15). Senior post Henry Sims generated the most second chances, grabbing four offensive rebounds and seven misses overall while also scoring 16 points.

It wasn’t all good news for Georgetown, which struggled to cope with DePaul’s frenetic pace. The Blue Demons forced 18 Hoya turnovers, most in their full-court press. While Porter gave the ball away a team-high five times, the miscues were fairly evenly distributed. Some of the mistakes were to be expected: the Blue Demons thrive on taking the ball away in the full-court press. What’s more, the Hoyas were without Starks, frequently Georgetown’s lead guard, making the DePaul pressure all the more daunting. Even so, Georgetown’s tendency to fork the ball over was troubling, made all the more so by DePaul’s ability to capitalize on those mistakes. Those mistakes allowed DePaul runs that kept the Hoyas from pulling away in a contest they led nearly wire to wire.

DePaul also managed to stay close because Georgetown could not hit free throws. Clark missed five of his nine tries, while Hollis Thompson (14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) bricked both of his. As a team, the Hoyas hit just 16 of their 28 free throws, continuing a five-game slump in which they have made just 61 percent of their free throws.

Even so, Georgetown put the game away. After DePaul rattled off eight straight points without the Hoyas advancing the ball past half-court, the lead stood at just 48-46, and the sparse Blue Demon crowd had come to its feet, cheering through the Hoya timeout. But a pair of offensive put-backs, one by Thompson and another by Greg Whittington (five rebounds, four points), sandwiched around a Clark fast-break lay-in, made the advantage eight. Georgetown was never really threatened again, stretching the lead to 14 before holding on for the win.

For those prone to complain about the state of Hoya hoops, games at DePaul are a sobering reminder of what could be. These contests are observed by a few thousand in a soulless facility, far closer to the airport than campus, where banners tout the achievements of minor league hockey and arena football squads. During a visiting team’s run, the loud clapping of a few opposing fans echoes, making the meager home crowd seem all the more so. On Tuesday, it was evident that the DePaul faithful, supporters of a team so long the laughingstock of the Big East, desperately want their team to matter again. For a while, the Blue Demons looked ready to satisfy that yearning, scoring in bunches and swarming with full-court pressure. But, whatever their errors throughout the game, the Hoyas got just enough offense from Clark and just enough work on the glass to keep DePaul at arm’s length.

The two-game, two-win road trip means the Hoyas held serve while five other Big East teams teams also have two conference losses. Now, the Hoyas return to their home court, where on Saturday they’ll face a young Rutgers squad that already has beaten a pair of top-10 teams at home while compiling a 3-3 conference mark. In the meantime, Hoya Saxa.